Last Week: 8-8
Season: 59-51-1
Playoffs: 0-0
Six months after the start of the 2010 NFL season, we are down to the final twelve as Wild Card Weekend gets underway! The playoffs begin with the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints traveling to Seattle to take on a Seahawks team that recently became the first ever team in NFL history to win their division and qualify for the playoffs with a below .500 record. Saturday’s nightcap will be a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game as the New York Jets travel to Indianapolis for revenge against the Colts. As always, home teams are in CAPITALS.
SEAHAWKS (+10) over Saints
This REALLY feels like a trap game. The Saints are the first double digit road favorite in the wild card round in NFL history. They have lost their top two running backs, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas for the season due to injury and their offense will have to rely on Drew Brees to be even more one dimensional than normal. It’s also pouring rain in Seattle which could neutralize the Saints normal indoor speed.
There is no doubt that the New Orleans Saints are a better football team than the Seattle Seahawks. The defending champions should roll in this game but there are several causes for concern. New Orleans has never won a road playoff game in franchise history. Additionally, with a decimated running attack, the Saints will have to rely on Reggie Bush and Julius Jones against the Seahawks front seven. New Orleans rushing attack comes into this matchup ranked 28th in the NFL for the 2010 season. The Saints have 31 turnovers on the season (the same number as the Seahawks) and QB Drew Brees doubled his interception total from last season (22 to 11).
New Orleans defeated Seattle 31-16 at the Superdome earlier this season. I expect the Saints to win again but with shaky weather conditions and it being a playoff game, I’m not quite ready to bet on a double digit road favorite.
Jets (+2.5) over COLTS
Betting against Peyton Manning in a home playoff game feels like a cardinal sin. Indianapolis defeated the Jets 30-17 in last year’s AFC Championship Game. Although CB Darrell Revis was able to shut down WR Reggie Wayne, Manning still threw for 377 yards including an AFCCG record 11 passes to WR Pierre Garcon.
The Jets went out in the offseason and acquired CB Antonio Cromartie to help offset the other side of the field. With a Colts team decimated by injuries, Manning will have to go to battle with several new faces. The Colts will look to exploit the middle of the Jets defense, but with All-Pro TE Dallas Clark out due to injury, they will have to rely on TE Jacob Tamme.
Is this finally the moment in which Rex Ryan beats Peyton Manning and the Colts? Revenge is a factor and with Indianapolis decimated by injury, I believe the Hard Knocks squad from New York will finally erase their demons from last season.
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